Technology enhancements are on the way to further build upon the Association’s and industry’s digital transformation needs. The day-to-day work is getting done, often with greater collaboration from industry volunteers. The Government Relations Action Council was engaged to coordinate PPAI’s industry-leading response to new tariffs on countries vital to the supply chain. The DEI Task Force helped finalize plans for official Association platforms celebrating cultural heritage recognition throughout the year. “This is a little bit of a house renovation,” he says. “Boy, it’s a great structure. The foundation is fantastic. Financially, it’s extremely stable. We’ve got really strong people. There’s just some renovation work that’s got to take place, and it’s the stuff that’s not only very fixable, but will create for a much more positive experience across the board.” The Foundation Holmgreen’s own house appears well in order. He and Andrea celebrated their 20th anniversary last year, and he spends his weekends coaching George’s basketball team. He’s a runner and outdoorsman with the goal of hiking the tallest peak in every U.S. state. They vacation in Colorado, where he enjoys the craft beer and mountainous plates of nachos, a holiday departure from his typically clean diet. “He has learned to purpose his best traits and qualities,” says Steve Smith, CEO of the Dallasbased ad agency Firehouse and a mentor of Holmgreen’s. “He’s grown tremendously.” Holmgreen refers to his upbringing on the north side of Austin, Texas as “standard.” While raising Drew and his brother, Holmgreen’s father worked 40 years as a pharmacist, and his mother spent 32 years in the registrar’s office at The University of Texas, later Holmgreen’s alma mater. All four of them now live in North Texas – a personal joy in itself, Holmgreen says. He is a proud uncle to five. His parents nurtured what former co-workers describe as a natural sense of empathy. His cover letter for the PPAI job recalls an instance from preschool – one of his earliest memories – when he approached a new classmate named Marty in the gymnasium: “He was by himself, the only Black kid, and looked kinda lonely. I walked over and said, ‘Hi, I’m Andrew. Want to be my best friend?’ The sheer simplicity and positive purity of that moment was defining. And it worked out.” Later, when the two friends were set to split off to different middle schools, his mother successfully petitioned the Austin school district to allow the young Holmgreen to attend the same school as Marty. “Forty-four years later, he remains one of my closest friends,” Holmgreen says. In addition to empathy, his parents also encouraged an adventurous streak. In their attempt to grant him a window to the wider world, they sent him on a class trip to Germany in eighth grade, which promoted curiosity and a love of travel. He’s now visited some two dozen countries for work and play, and emphasizes intentionality toward PPAI’s global goals. “I think the way in which my parents intentionally curated my exposure provided me the kind of perspective that allowed me to be an open, flexible and creative collaborator,” Holmgreen says. A native Texan who grew up in Austin, Holmgreen now resides in Dallas with his wife, Andrea and son, George. His parents and brother now live in nearby Granbury, Texas. A Vision of Joy | Must Read PPAI • APRIL 2025 • 47
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